Writing's A Lot Like Football

I decided last night that writing is a lot like football. Sound strange? Maybe not.

A week ago, our favorite team, the Kansas State Wildcats, played a road game in Lubbuck, Texas. The Texas Tech Raiders whipped K-State 66-14. Nothing went right for the wildcats that night. We, at home, watched the TV in disbelief.

Last night, K-State had a home game against Texas A&M, a team that was #4 in Offense in the nation. K-State scored immediately and kept right on going. They ended up winning by a score of 62-14. Pretty close to the score they lost by the week before. Euphoria for the team, the coaches and the fans.

So, how is writing like that? Think about the writer who submits a novel, or even a short piece like an essay or article, time and time again. Rejection after rejection pulls them down emotionally, and they wonder if it's worth sending it out again. Doubt creeps in, anger builds, and , at times, resentment regarding others who made it festers like a wound.

But if the writer overcomes those negative feelings and keeps on looking for an agent or publisher who sees the value of their work, they just might meet success. But they'll never know unless they make the effort. When they finally do sell that novel, or essay, euphoria moves in.

Not a whole lot different than our football team. But like the team, there's another game to be played next week, or another novel to be written. Key word here is perseverance.